Gas turbine engine having dome panel assembly with bifurcated swirler flow

Abstract

A gas turbine engine including a combustor with a combustion liner having inner and outer walls is disclosed herein. The gas turbine engine further includes a swirler system adapted to receive a fuel injector and a flow splitter operable to bifurcate an airflow exiting the swirler system into a first bifurcated flow and a second bifurcated flow. A shroud is positioned downstream of the flow splitter and is configured to deflect the first bifurcated flow in a first direction radially inward and the second bifurcated flow in a second direction radially outward. The second bifurcated flow cools both of the inner and outer walls of the combustor liner.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A gas turbine engine, comprising:
 a compressor; 
 a turbine; and 
 a combustor fluidly disposed between said compressor and said turbine, including:
 a combustion liner having inner and outer walls; 
 a dome panel including an opening adapted to receive first and second swirlers and only a single fuel injector wherein the single fuel injector has a centerline; 
 wherein the first swirler is perimetrically disposed around the fuel iniector and is configured to produce a first swirling air and wherein the second swirler is perimetrically disposed around the first swirler and is configured to produce a second swirling air; 
 a flow splitter positioned to bifurcate said first swirling air and second swirling air exiting said swirler system into a first bifurcated flow of inner swirling air and a second bifurcated flow of outer swirling air; and 
 
 a shroud positioned downstream of said flow splitter and configured to deflect said first bifurcated flow of inner swirling air in a first direction radially inward toward the centerline and said second bifurcated flow of outer swirling air in a second direction radially outward of the fuel injector and radially outward from the centerline, wherein the flow of the second swirling air in the second direction cools both of the inner and outer walls of the combustor liner. 
 
     
     
       2. The gas turbine engine of  claim 1 , wherein said shroud includes a first deflector surface for deflecting said first bifurcated flow, and wherein said shroud includes a second deflector surface for deflecting said second bifurcated flow. 
     
     
       3. The gas turbine engine of  claim 1 , wherein said second direction includes only a component that is outward from a centerline of said fuel injector. 
     
     
       4. The gas turbine engine of  claim 1 , wherein said outer wall is coupled to said dome panel and said inner wall is coupled to said dome panel. 
     
     
       5. A dome panel assembly for a gas turbine engine combustion system having an inner wall spaced radially apart from an outer wall, comprising:
 a dome panel having an opening with a centerline; 
 a swirler system including first and second swirlers disposed in said opening and adapted to receive a fuel injector, the fuel injector being disposed only radially inward of the swirler system; 
 wherein the swirler system includes an inner band and an outer band, wherein the inner band pilots the fuel injector within the swirler system, and wherein the swirler system is piloted within the opening in the dome panel by the outer band; 
 wherein the first swirler is perimetrically disposed around the fuel injector and is configured to produce a first swirling air and wherein the second swirler is perimetrically disposed around the first swirler and is configured to produce a second swirling air; 
 a flow splitter positioned to bifurcate said first swirling air and said second swirling air exiting said swirler system into a first bifurcated flow of inner swirling air and a second bifurcated flow of outer swirling air; and 
 a shroud positioned downstream of said flow splitter and configured to deflect said first bifurcated flow of inner swirling air radially inward toward the centerline and said second bifurcated flow of outer swirling air radially outward of the fuel injector and radially outward from the centerline to cool said inner and outer walls. 
 
     
     
       6. The dome panel assembly of  claim 5 , wherein said shroud includes a first deflector surface for deflecting said first bifurcated flow, and wherein said shroud includes a second deflector surface for deflecting said second bifurcated flow. 
     
     
       7. The dome panel assembly of  claim 5 , wherein said shroud and said flow splitter are integrally formed together as a unitary structure. 
     
     
       8. The dome panel assembly of  claim 5 , wherein said swirler system is a unitary structure. 
     
     
       9. A dome panel assembly for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
 a dome panel having an opening with a centerline; 
 an inner combustion liner disposed radially inward from an outer combustion liner; 
 means for swirling air, wherein said means for swirling air is disposed in said opening, and wherein said means for swirling air is positioned adjacent to a location for a fuel injector, wherein the fuel injector is disposed only radially inward of the means for swirling air; and 
 means for bifurcating an airflow exiting said means for swirling air into a first bifurcated flow and a second bifurcated flow, the means for bifurcating being positioned downstream of the means for swirling air; and 
 means for deflecting the first bifurcated flow radially inward toward the centerline and deflecting the second bifurcated flow radially outward of the fuel injector and radially outward from the centerline to cool each of the inner and outer combustion liners. 
 
     
     
       10. The dome panel assembly of  claim 9 , wherein said means for bifurcating and said means for deflecting are integrally formed together as a unitary structure. 
     
     
       11. The dome panel assembly of  claim 10 , wherein said means for swirling air, said means for bifurcating and said means for deflecting are integrally formed together as a unitary structure.